My husand and I are taking his mother to Italy late October for approx. 8 or 9 days. It is her first time in Italy and I don't think she is going to go there again. Our plan is to fly into Rome - spend three to four days in Rome with a day trip to Pompeii. Take train to Florence and spend two nights there. Take train to venice and spend three nights there. Train to milan and fly home. My husband and mother in law aren't museum people so I don't think we will be spending much time going from museum to museum, but plan on doing a lot of walking, maybe one museum, churches, shopping and lots of eating. Is this a crazy schedule.. I don't want to spend a lot of time at train stations. thanks Patty

I think that you are trying too much in such a short time. There is so much to do in Rome. I would suggest you spend <BR>Rome 3 full days (4 nights)<BR>Florence 2 full days (3 nights). Spend one day shoping for leather.<BR>Venice 2 full days (3 nights)<BR>Whatever left you will spend getting from one place to another. <BR>Actually I would just recommend Rome and Florence.

I think your itinerary is fine - if anything I'd eliminate Rome and just do Florence/Tuscany and Venice - try to eliminate that extra night in Milan and fly home from Venice - great way to end the trip in Venice - so quiet and peaceful - no cars. Rome is a very large city with a lot of highly recognizeable monuments - may 3 nights in Rome (forget the Pompei thing) - then 3-4 nights in Florence with day trips to Siena, etc.<BR>then 3 nights in Venice - fly home from there.

I agree about trying to fly out of Venice instead of Milan. So far as everything else goes, it's a packed schedule and it all depends on whether you are up to all the walking and travel. If you do this itinerary, I would suggest spending an extra night in Florence and taking it from Venice esp. if you decide to fly out from Venice anyway.

Thanks!!! The only reason why Milan was part of the plan was because I did not think there were direct flights from Venice! So I called the airline back and made the change. Thanks everyone<BR><BR>patty

I'll toss more suggestions into the pot. Opt for four days in Rome, with a day trip to Pompeii. Take a morning Eurostar train to Florence. Walk around, shop, have a gelato, wander thru the Santa Croce church (piazza is good area for leather items) -- and the 'Leather School' is behind church. Overnight in Florence and next day, continue on to Venice (again, take the ES). Spend your final 3 days in Venice, departing from here.